Fluid coupling



Feb. 6, 1945. A! D. PENTz 2,368,725

FLUID COUPLING Filed June 2, l1943 BY Mau/N/ Patented Feb. 6, 1945 y UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID COUPLING Albert D. Pentz, New York, N. Y. -Application June 2, 1943, Serial No. v489,409

15 Claims.

This invention relates to uid couplings and,

' more especially .to such couplings in automobile transmission mechanisms.

It is an object of the present invention to inj crease the efliciency of suchfluid couplings by enabling the circulating medium to follow a true helical path'indicated as the correct path in such present invention is to reduce as far as possible,

the back pressure of the circulating medium on the impeller, especially at the start of the operation. When a stream of a liquid impinges on a .stationary or more slowly moving surface, it produces a splash which scatters the liquid-in every direction. This is exactly what takes place when the` medium is put in circulation in a fluid coupling. In the type of coupling considered here, comprising an impeller, an impelled member, and a runner therebetween, the fluid driven by the impeller impinges on the blades of the runner which generally rotates more slowly than the impeller. A part of the impinging uid ows olf the pan 6.y A-cylindrical drum fromtthe runner blades onto the blades of. the

impelled member, but a part ricochets onto the impeller causing a back pressure which reduces the efficiency of the coupling, especially at the start of the operation when the runner blades are stationary. It is an object ofthe present invention t0 reduce this back pressure. This object is attained by leading that portion of the impinging uid which does not pass immediately on' to the impelled blades back into circulation and doing this by a greatly shortened` path of leastre# sistance, Other objects will 4become apparent from the specification which follows and from the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is an axial cross sectional view of a fluid coupling according to the present invention, l as applied to a motor vehicle transmission.

Figure 2 is a similar View for a slightly modi- A ed form of such a coupling.

Figure l3 is a side elevational view of the runner portion of the coupling shown in Figure 1, atan enlargedscale.

" (c1. fio-,54) A Figure 4 is a cross section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5 5 of the same ligure.

Figure 6 is a view similar to'Figure 3 for 'a modied form of the invention.

Figure 'I is a cross section taken along the line 1 1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 for still another modification of the invention.

`Referring to .the figures in detail, I is the end of the driving shaft of a motorvehicle; 2 is an intermediate shaft piloted in the shaft I; 3 is a hollow shaft. or sleeve -.on the shaft 2, connected with the driven shaft of the vehicle (not shown) and, for the vpurpose of this specification, may be considered as the driven shaft itself. The fluid coupling forming the subject of the present invention comprises an impeller 5 having a web 1 and hub 8 drivingly connected with the shaft I,

as `by means of bolts 4; a runner having a web 24 and hub 22 connected with the intermediate shaft 2 by the key 23; and an impelled member having a'web I6 and hub I5 keyed to the-shaft 3. The impeller 5 is formed with an annular recess or pan 6. The web 'I 'and hub 8 dene a recessed portion 9 communicating with the recess or pan 6'. Radially extending blades I2 are mountedvon I3 coaxial with the shafts I and 2 is removably secured'to the impeller 5, as by means of bolts I4. 'Ihe function of this drum, does not enter into the operation of'the present device, and the drum, therefore, may beomitted. T he only reason vwhy it is shown is to connect the present invention with that disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No.

467,487, filed December 1, 1942, wherein the function of the drum is duly set forth. Onvthe web -I6 is mounted an annular pan I1 carrying a. plurality of blades I8 which may, though they need not, be similar in form, number and disposition to the blades I2. The web 24 carries annular rims 26 and 21, between which are mounted the runner l theytraverse through openings 32 and 33 and are secured to the ring 3| by lugs 28 and 3l which -the blade portions 23 and are bent 'over the tubular` ring 3l. as is best shown in extend from impelled blades Figures 3 and 4. As here shown, the central portions 2 8 of the blades 25 extend to the inner surface of the ring 3|, thereby forming a plurality of chambers in the ring, but I do not mean to limit the invention to this particular construction, i. e., the inner space of the tubular ring 3| need not be divided into separate chambers.

The impeller blades l2, runner blades 25 and reservoir defined by the impeller 5 and a wall I9. This reservoir contains a uid medium put in circulation by the blades of the impeller 5. The wall I3 has an outer peripheral edge sealingly secured to the impeller 5 at 20, and an inner peripheral edge rotatably sealed to the hub I5 at 2|. Suitable seals prevent leakage of the uid into other parts of the mechanism. A tap (not shown) in the wall i9 is provided for lling the reservoir to the desired level.

The tubular ring 3l is provided with' inlet ports All and outlet ports l for the circulating medium. The inlet ports 40 are disposed along the median line of that portion of the surface of the ring I3 are all operating within a lll which is farthest away from its center. The out..

- let ports 4| are disposed on that portion of the surface of the ring which is nearest to its center but preferably, though not necessarily along points off the median line of said surface towards the impeller. The relative positions of these ports is best shown in Figure 8 wherein the inlet ports and the outlet ports are connected by a. tubular member 3B'. When, as herein shown, the central portion 28 ofthe runner blades 25 extends to the `inner surface of the tubular ring 3|, thereby forming a plurality of separate chambers in the ring, there will be one inlet and a corresponding outlet in each one of such chambers. `The inlet ports 40 are preferably adjacent the blades 25, as shown.

The purpose of the ports 40 and 4| is dual, namely, first to reduce as far as possible the back pressure on the impeller blades due to the ricochetting of the fluid as it impinges on the runner blades, especially at the start of the operation, and, second, to expedite the circulation'of the medium, as has already been mentioned in the preamble. In some cases, it may be desirable to further enhance these effects by introducing a plurality of scoops into the picture. Such scoops are shown in Figure 3, consistingof a tubular member 3S having a mouth 38 facing the impinging stream, and an outlet 39 opening into an exit 31 in the ring 3|. As shown, the tubular member of the scoop terminates' at 39 on the surface of the ring 3|, :but it may, of oourse,\:be extended beyond this surface. Only four scoops are shown in Figure 3, but their number -may be varied. Of

.course,wl 1ere such a scoop is introduced the ports .40 and 4| would bel superuous and would be, i omitted. When ,the/ring 3| is divided into sepa..

asearaa v blades I2 and |8 in this modincation of the invention are of a corresponding circular fo. Giving the ring 3| the form of a torus tube has certain advantages inasmuch as it is more in conlformity with the helical path of the circulating I medium.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the runner blades do not traverse the tubular ring 3|, as they do in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3. In the modication shown in Figure 6,

mentary parts 42 forming continuations of one another, one lextending outwardly from the ring 3| away from its center, and the other one ex` vtending outwardly from the ring 3| towards its center. As shown, this construction is accomplishedlby ruining a metal sheet into a succession of alternately reversed U-shaped units @l2- i3- 42, L M- 32, and doing likewise with a second ruilled metal sheet bent into the succession of alternately reversed U-shaped units e2- -52 and 42-46-42. The ring 3| is held .between the elements d4 and 46, to which it is secured as by spot Welding or in any other standard manner. The elements 45 are similarly secured to the rim 25 of the runner. Although not so shown, the elements 43 may similarly 'be secured to the other rim 2l of the runner.

`The operation of the device follows clearly from the above specification if the purposes of the invention are duly noted in conjunction with the specification, these purposes having been set forth in the preamble, and it is` therefore deemed unnecessary to further expand on the subject, except to mention that the examples shown and explained are meant mainly to serve as illustrations of the invention and do not preclude the variations possible in several of the details within the scope and the spirit of the invention. For instance, the tubular ring 3| wrmay be slit along the median line of its surface, in which case the narrow gap between the severed halves of the ring I as outlet ports for the 'line' of said surface, and outlet ports on that portion of the surface of said ring which is nearest to its center but disposed off the median line of .l said surface towards said impellen rate chambers, as above explained, one such scoop may be provided for each one of a selected nuiny ber of chambers. In either case, i. e. Whether the rlngfis or-is not divided into a plurality of chambers, I mayprovifle the ring in part with ports part with scoops 36. In some 40 and, and in cases, the scoops may even take over the functionl of the runner blades, and an arrangement comprising in part ,bladesY 25 and in part scoops 36 maybefoundmbe'q'uite erect-ive. i

' i isofanpoval, cross section'. The pans '3 and |I- are formed toj In Figure l', the tubular ring 3 correspond to this shape.v In Fig. 2, thetubular ring 3|has a circular cross section, i. e., the ring 3| is a torus tube.

The outer peripheries of the 2. A fluid coupling according to claim 1 wherein each inlet port is Aconnected with the corresponding outlet port by a tubular member.

3. A uid coupling according to claim 1 wherein l the inlet ports are adjacent the runner blades.

4. A fluid coupling comprising an impeller, an

yimpelled member, a runnerintermediate said impeller'and'said ,impelle'd member, and a circulating `uid medium, a tubular ring forming apart f of said runner, a pluralitysof. scoops' penetrating said ring inaI direction` normal thereto and provided Vwith exits on the surface of said ring facing its vcenter at points off the median line of said surface towards said' impellerfthe mouths of said scoops facing the incoming stream of said uid medium. 1

`5. A uid'coupling comprising an`impeller, an

impelled member, arunner intermediate said imcomprising an impeller, an'- peller and said impelled member. and a circulating fluid medium, blades on said runner, a tubular ring supported by said blades, scoops between consecutive blades penetrating said tuibular ring and provided with exits on the surface of said ring facing its center at points ci! the median line of said surface towards said impe1ler,the mouths of said scoops facing the incoming stream of said nuid medium.

6. A uid coupling comprising an impeller, an A impelled member, anda runner intermediate said impeller andsaid impelled member, blades on said runner, and a. tubularring supported by. said blades substantially midway between their ends,

said blades penetrating said tubular ring and the portions of said blades within said tubular ring entirely extending to the inner surface of said ring, thereby forming a plurality of chambers therein, each one of said'chambers being provided with an inlet porton that portion of the 20 tubular ring farthest away from its center and with an outlet port on that portion of the tubular 1-ing nearest its center.

7. A fluid'coupling according to claim 1 Awherein the runner blades extend through the tubular ring and wherein the portions of the 'runner blades within the tubular ring extend to the inner surface of said ring, thereby forming a plurality of chambers, each chamber being provided with one of said inlets and its corresponding outlet;

8. A uid coupling according to claim 5 wherein the runner blades extend through the tubular ring and wherein* the portions .of the runner blades within the tubular ringgextend to the 'inner surface of the ring, thereby forming a plurality of chambers, each scoop ybeing contained in one of said chambers.

9. A uid coupling including a runner in the Acentral zone of the coupling, a tubular ring forming a part oi.' said runner, a circulating medium, 4

`inlet ports for said medium on the portion of said ring farthest away from its center and disposed ,alonglthe median line ot its surface, and outlet f' ports on the portion of said ring nearest to itsr center. Y

, 10. A iluid coupling including a runner in the central zone of the coupling, blades on said runner, a tubular ring supported by said blades substantially midway between their ends, a circulating iluid medium, inlet :ports on that portion of ,said ring` which is farthest away from its center and disposed along the median line of its surface,

and outlet ports on the portion of said ring nearest to its center.

11. A nuid` coupling including a runner in the central zone of the coupling, a circulating uid medium, a tubular fring forming a part of said runner, and a plurality of scoops traversing said ring having mouths facing the stream of the incoming fluid and exits on the portion of said ring nearest to its center. f

12. A fluid coupling includinga runner in the central zone of the coupling, a circulating duid medium, blades on said runner, a tubular ring supported by said blades, and -scoops between consecutive .blades penetrating said tubular ring having mouths facing the stream ot the incoming uid and exits along the surface of said ring nearest to its center.

13. A fluid coupling according to` claim 9, wherein one 'or more of the inlet ports are connectedwith corresponding outlet ports Iby ducts.

wherein the inlet port of one of the chambers is connected 'with the outlet port of said chamber o byaduct.

ALBERT DQ PENTz.

15. A uuid coupling according to' 'claim 6, 

